Making finger-guards for



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

M. L. BALLARD, OF CANTON, OHIO.

MAKING FINGER-GUARDSr FOR HARVESTERS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 31,218, dated January 29, 1861.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, M. L. BALLARD, of Canton, Stark county, in the State of Ohio, have invented a certain new fand useful Machine for h/Ianufacturing Blanks for lVroughtIron Guards or Fingers for Reaping and Mowing Machines, and which I denominate M. L. Ballards improved guard-staving machine, and I do hereby l0 declare that the following is a clear, full, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which--V Figure l represents a front view of the machine; Fig. 2, represents a section on line A B, Fig. l., with the jaws A, B, open. Fig. 3 represents a section on line A B, Fig. l, with the jaws A, B, closed upon the blank H; Fig. 4 represents a similar view after the blank H, has been forced down to form the shoulder J. Figs. 5, G and 7, are views of the perfected blank, and Fig. 8 represents a view of a piece or section of iron H, before it is operated upon, and out of which the blank I, is formed.

In the drawings A, represents one of the jaws, which in this instance is stationaryhaving a projection A, to which is hinged the movable jaw B, by means of bolt or journal a, which passes through projection A, and ears B, B, and where it is held by nut c, and head b. The stationary aw A, has smooth .surfaces F, and F-the part F, projecting toward the jaw B, beyond the part F, as shown in the drawings.

The movable jaw B, is grooved out at G, G, so as to give the desired form to the bottom of the blank guard as shown at g,

Fig. 5, while it has side lips which fit, when the jaws are closed, the smooth faces F, and F, of the jaw A, on each side of the blank guard.

The bottom rear corner of the jaw B, is

cut out so as to permit of the insert-ion of the key E, which is provided with projections CZ, (Z, on the lower side, and with surfaces f, and f, on its upper side.

Near the top of the stationary jaw A, is

fastened a clasp or ring piece O, which encircles both jaws.

The operation is as follows: The section of iron H, is properly heated near its middle, and then being dropped into the groove Gr, Gr, of the jaw B, slides down until it rests on the surface of the sliding key E, (the key E, having been first pushed forward so as to bring the surface under the end of the groove in jaw B,) as shown in section Fig. 2. The operator now drives the wedge D, down between the jaw B, and clasp O, whereby the jaws are made to close upon the iron H, and bending it into the form shown in section, Fig. 3. Key is now driven back, so as to bring the surface f, under the groove, and consequently under the iron H. The operator now applies a hammer or sledge to the top of the section of iron H, whereby it is forced down in the groove in the jaw B, until its lower end rests on the surface f, of the key E, as seen in sect-ion Fig. t, thus forming a perfect shoulder J, on the blank guard, and that too, from a piece of iron rolled down to the proper size to form the shank of the guard.

In Fig. 5, I, represents the blank guard after it has been removed from the machine.

By the use of my machine, wrought iron guards can be manufactured with great rapidity and precision; since the iron can rst be rolled down to the proper size to form the shank K, and then cut up into sections H, after which the shoulder J, and curved back g, are (by simply heating the middle of the piece and subjecting it to the action of my machine) formed as above set forth.

It will be observed that the shoulder is formed by staving up section H, near its middle, thus obviating all necessity of drawing down a large bar to form the shoulder J.

Fig. 6, represents a section of the blank guard on line c Fig. 5, looking in the direction of arrow l-the guard being represented as turned up sidewise; while Fig. 7, represents a similar view on line c (Z, Fig. 5, looking in the direction of arrow 2. l 7L, It, represents the plane surfaces formed by the jaw A. The point L, of the blank guard can now be drawn out and bent up over to form the lip of the guard in any known manner-a thin piece of steel being first welded on the surface 7L, of the point L, if preferred.

Having described my invention, what I B, the sliding key E, as and for the purposes set forth. t lo In Wltness whereof I have hereunto slgned claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. The combination of jaw A, With lts plane surfaces F, F, and jaw B, with its my name. 5 groove G, G, with clasp or ring C, and M. L. BALLARD.

Wedge D, or their equivalents for the pur- Vtnesses: poses stated. A. G. ALLEN,

2. In combination with the jaws A, and f DANIEL GOTSHALL. 

